Mission

The ‘Stichting Leer Anderen Helpen’ ( the Foundation Empowering Others to Provide Care) was founded on 18 mei 1989 and is now based in Utrecht.

The mission of SLAH is to provide ophthalmic care to people in less affluent regions in the world, who do not -or barely have access to- this type of healthcare. In providing this care, and as much as possible skills and expertise are transferred to local physicians and other care providers, in order that in the longer run help from outsiders is less or entirely no longer needed. Usually the care provided consists of eye surgery replacing a clouded lens (cataract) by an artificial intraocular lens.

Since the start of the organization support was provided in different regions in Indonesia, given the intimate relationship of several of SLAH’s ophthalmologists with that country. Due to increasing affluence in Indonesia and the growing number of ophthalmologists even in more remote regions of that country, SLAH has also started projects in other parts of the world. Currently SLAH is active in Indonesia, Haiti and Kenia.

In 2014 the book ‘Zien en afzien’ was published on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of SLAH.
This book consists of stories of the foundation and the subsequent years of deployment.
The book is available in Dutch and Bahasa.

SLAH recieves no governmental support and is therefore entirely dependent on support from private individuals etc.
All participating ophthalmologists and board members perform their work for SLAH on a voluntary basis without financial retribution.

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of SLAH in 2014, we published a book with stories and photographs of participating ophthalmologists.

Collaborative relationships

Stichting Samenwerking Vlissingen Ambon (SSVA)

Over more than 20 years the two cities of Vlissingen and Ambon are twin cities. As a result of this bond SLAH has invested in a healt clinic in Ambon. In this clinic SLAH helps with performing cataract surgery and the transferring of skills and expertise to the local ophthalmologists.

Stichting Hulp Haïti Driel

For over more than 10 years this foundation supports a Dutch female tropical surgeon, Anne Marie Wessels in Passe Catabois, Haiti. In cooperation with this foundation SLAH has send a team of ophthalmologists and opticians for the last 5 years to provide ophthalmic care

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Stichting Oloonkolin Kenya

Oloonkolin Foundation Kenya’s objective is to help the residents of Oloonkolin improve their living conditions. We are currently working on establishing a health centre. Something that is desperately needed in this area.

On 4 March 2016, a medical team, including two ophthalmologists from Stichting SLAH (Dr. Ton Smit and Dr. Alex Rulo, both from Oogziekenhuis Zonnestraal), travelled to Oloonkolin. They provided ophthalmic treatment in collaboration with local specialists from the Kenyan Ministry of Health Trans Mara West Hospital. In the years to come SLAH wil continue to help Kenya to provide ophthalmologic care to its poorest inhabitants.